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Wednesday's Federal Register carried a notice from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) extending the comment period for proposed methods of collecting information regarding the use of nanoscale materials in pesticides published in the Federal Register of June 17, 2011. The original deadline for submitting comments was July 18, 2011. The deadline for submission has been extended to august 17, 2011.

The 30 day extension was requested by four commenters - Croplife America, a trade group repsenting " the developers, manufacturers, formulators and distributors of plant science solutions for agriculture and pest management in the United States", the American Chemical Council, the Chemical Producers and Distributors Association, a trade group "representing the interests of generic pesticide registrants, with a membership that includes manufacturers, formulators, and distributors of pesticide products", and theInternational Center for Technology Assessment, "a non-profit, bi-partisan organization committed to providing the public with full assessments and analyses of technological impacts on society". The comments may beviewed on Regulations.gov.

Information on submitting comments is available from either the original notice or the notice published on Wednesday.

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California's Department of Toxic Substances Control (CDTSC) held a conference today during which they identified the next six nanoscale materials they intend to target in their second round of data call ins.  Regular readers may remember that CDTSC targeted 26 manufacturers/importers of carbon nanotubes with its first data call in in 2009. 

In addition to identifying the nanoscale materials which will be the subject of the data call in, CDTSC also provided a preliminary list of manufacturers/importers that will receive the data call in, as well as the proposed questions they will be asked.  We cover each material below.

CDTSC also indicated that carbon nanotube manufacturers/importers will receive a second round of data call in questions. 

CDTSC plans to issue all of these new data call ins sometime before the end of the year.  Stay tuned . . .

Nano Silver

Proposed Questions:  What is the chemical composition of your nanosilver material? What is particle size of your nanosilver material used? What is the concentration of nanosilver used in your material? What are the instrumental techniques used to characterize your nanosilver material?What are the analytical methods used in your nanosilver material? How do you measure and monitor fate and transport after useful life of your nanosilver material? How do you detect, measure and monitor releases during facility operations?

Preliminary Recipients:  Nano Composix, Cambrios Technologies, Seashell Technology, Sun Innovations, Stanford Materials, MTI Corporation.

Nano Zero Valent Iron

Proposed Questions:  What are the analytical methods for assessment of toxic effects and safe uses of nano zero valent iron across its lifecycle? How do you sample, measure, and monitor quality? Performance? How do you detect, measure, and monitor releases from facility operations? How do you measure and monitor fate and transport after useful life?

Preliminary Recipients:  American Elements, AMEC Geomatrix, hepure Technologies, OnMaterials, Quantum Sphere, Stanford Materials, Sun Innovations.

Nano Titanium Dioxide

Proposed Questions: What machines and methods do you use to analyze your materials? What are the properties of your materials? After modification? What types of monitoring program are you using in your work place? In air? In water? What is the toxicity when your material is directly contacted with human skin? What is the weathering, liberation rate of your material into the environment? Impacts? What is you actual production amount this year?

Preliminary Recipients:  DuPont, BASF, Evonik, Ishihara, Altair nano, Huntsman, Kronos, Kemira, Kon Corp., Tronox, Nanocompsix, Nano-oxide, Green millenium, MK nano, Advanced Nano, NanoCo, Pilkington.

Nano Zinc Oxide

Proposed Questions:  Describe .specifically the nanostructure, functionalities, and properties (physical, chemical, and biological) of nano zinc oxide material that is produced in the facility.  Describe the in-house instrument and analytical methods you use to determin the presence of nano zinc oxide in the workplace and environment. Describe the chemical information provided by external vendors relative to nano zinc oxide nanostructure, functionalities, and properties.  Describe the instrumentation and analytical methods used by external laboratories that provided the above chemical information.

Preliminary Recipients:  UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, USC, Ferity Zinc Oxide Inc., APF Laboratories, Atomate Corporation, Stanford Materials, Alpha Enivornmental, Nanophase technologies, Sokang nano, Antaria Corporation, Ocean Nano Tech, LaamScience, Advanced nanotechnology, NanoGate, Inframat Advanced Materials, Reade Advanced Materials, KIA, Nanjing Hi Tech Nano Material Co., ltd., Nanozinc Oxide South Africa, NanoMaterials Technology, UmiCore Group, Horsehead Corporation.

Nano Cerium Oxide

Proposed Questions:  What machines and methods do you use to analyze your materials?  What are the properties of your materials? After modification? What types of monitoring program are you using in your work place? In air? In water? Do you know reactions when your material is released into aquatic environment? Do you know reactions when your material is released into air? What is you actual production amount this year?

Preliminary Recipients:  Saint-Gobain, Evonik, Meliorum Tech., Inframat Advanced materials, Antaria, HEFA Rare Earth Canada, Nanocerox, Nyacol, Energenics, MTI Corporation.

Quantum Dots

Proposed Questions:  What are the chemical compositions (purity, concentration, and chemical make-up) of your product's core and shell structures (including organic and inorganic attachments)? Specify its size, hydrodynamic diameter (HD), and surface area.  What analytical detection methods do you use to determine its presence in the workplace and environment? What are the surface properties (surface reactivity, groups, charge) and solubility in water and other solvents? What is the stability of your product in different environments (variable pH, temp, pressure, O2, UV light, water, etc.)? Does it aggregate in aquatic media?

Preliminary Recipients:  Nanosys/QD Soleil, Bloo Solar, Life Technologies, Stio, Quantum Dot Corporation, Chemicon International, Zymera, Invisage Technologies, University of California schools, Intelligent Optical Systems, Kovlo, NanoGram, Philips Lumileds Lighting Co., Toshiba America Electronics Components, Samsung Semiconductor, SEMI, Ultratech, Shrink Nanotechnologies.

 

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This article originally appeared on the National Nanomanufacturing Network's InterNano website earlier today. It is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.

Maxine Savitz[1] and Ed Penhoe[2] provided a recent presentation summarizing the highlights of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)[3] report on the status of the US National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) at a public meeting held at the National Academics on March 12, 2010.

Ms. Savitz provided a brief review at the beginning of the presentation regarding how, when, and why NNI was formed; its history from 2000 - 2010; and some of the participants in the PCAST review process. Participants included representatives from DuPont, IBM, A123 Systems, Nanocomp Technologies, Rice, Harvard, Caltech, Sandia National Labs, and the Woodrow Wilson Institute. Ms Savitz also explained that the group held two prior working meetings to solicit input from government agencies, the legislative and executive branches, as well as outside stakeholders. Finally, she explained that PCAST’s report has three major thematic areas: NNI program management; NNI output and work product; and NNI environmental, health, and safety programs and strategies.

Ed Penhoet then provided an update regarding NNI’s continued successes. He noted that the US is currently the world leader in nanotechnology and commercialization, but that other nations are gaining fast -- particularly in Asia and Europe. He further noted that NNI has had a substantial impact on the US nanotechnology industry over the past ten years, which can be seen in the larger number of nanotechnology patents filed, nano-related publications, and nano-related products hitting the commercial market during that period.

Mr. Penhoet further explained that while NNI is being effectively managed, there is still room for some improvement and greater coordination.

For an example, Mr. Penhoet pointed out that there is a lack of basic underlying data from which to analyze the economics of nano-related research, development, and commercialization in the US. Thus, it is difficult to precisely quantify the economic effectiveness of the NNI in measurable terms.

As another example, Mr. Penhoet also mentioned the need to identify and understand potential nano-related risks -- both for purposes of fundamental science, and also to provide a clear regulatory environment and path for commercialization. While undoubtedly a significant portion of PCAST’s written report touches on these issues, the topic was only briefly mentioned in passing during the presentation.

Mr. Penhoet then spent the majority of his presentation explaining the five major recommendations embodied in PCAST’s written report:

• Increase NNI funding for manufacturing research while maintaining support for basic research.
• Strengthen the NNCO, the NNI coordinating entity, with additional funds and a broader mandate.
• Require that metrics be developed to track benefits of nanotechnology such as job creation.
• Develop a cross agency strategy that links EHS research and knowledge gaps and decision making needs.
• Expedite the citizenship review process for those receiving advanced degrees in science and engineering.

The presentation closed with comments by several PCAST members regarding (i) potential methods for developing the underlying economic data needed to properly evaluate nano-related job creation and return on investment; and (ii) potential methods for increasing retention rates of foreign students obtaining advanced nano-related degrees in the US by reducing and/or streamlining citizenship restrictions.

PCAST voted to accept and approve the report after it is amended to reflect the comments discussed during the presentation.

References
[1] Director of the Washington Advisory Group, an LECG Company. Ms. Savitz is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Conservation, US Department of Energy. Prior to her DOE service, she was program manager for Research Applied to National Needs at the National Science Foundation. Following her government service, she served in executive positions in the private sector, including: President of Lighting Research Institute, assistant to the vice president for engineering at The Garrett Corporation, and General Manager of Allied Signal Ceramic Components. She recently retired from the position of General Manager for Technology Partnerships at Honeywell.

[2]President of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Mr. Penhoet is the former dean of the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley, prior to which he cofounded and managed the Chiron Corporation. Prior that he was a faculty member of the Biochemistry Department of U.C. Berkeley. Mr. Penhot currently serves as the vice chairman of the Independent Citizen’s Oversight Committee which oversees the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine created by the passage of Proposition 71, the stem cell initiative.

[3] http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/pcast.

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